Chapter 270: Setting Off
Li Xiaonan and Wan Jing got into the carriage. Wan Jing exclaimed, “Oh, right, do you know Gui Jin Workshop? Do you know the price of clothes from Gui Jin Workshop?”
“What price?” Li Xiaonan asked back.
“Very expensive!” Wan Jing emphasized the words “very expensive.”
“You only know it’s very expensive?” Li Xiaonan looked at Wan Jing with understanding.
“It definitely requires silver, it’s definitely not three or five taels!” Wan Jing’s expression was serious and solemn.
“I asked Fourth Mistress, and she said that Gui Jin Workshop’s clothes are still worth buying and wearing. I want to wear these clothes to Jianle City, so it’s best if we buy them at Gui Jin Workshop, right?” Li Xiaonan looked at Wan Jing, who nodded.
“Gui Jin Workshop’s clothes definitely have both cheap and expensive ones. We’ll pick the cheapest to buy. I’ve calculated it, and we won’t need many clothes. I’ll wear my current clothes on the road. When we get to Jianle City, three sets will be enough for everyday wear, and one set for important occasions will suffice.”
Wan Jing looked at the smiling Li Xiaonan, stunned for a moment, and let out a long sigh, “That’s fine, anyway, no matter how much…” Wan Jing trailed off.
“No matter how much, it won’t cover up how poor my family is,” Li Xiaonan finished her sentence.
“No… it’s not that it’s not, it is, anyway, we have our Young Lord. However, I think you should buy a couple more sets for the road. When you wear silk clothes, you look so cautious. When you get to Jianle City, people will laugh at you. You’d better get used to wearing them on the journey,” Wan Jing suggested after thinking.
“Okay!” Li Xiaonan readily agreed.
“Even with all this, it will still cost a lot of silver. Does your family have that much silver?” Wan Jing asked in a low voice.
“No.”
“Did the Young Lord give it to you?”
“No,” Li Xiaonan glanced at Wan Jing.
“Then where did you get the silver? I’m telling you, everyone outside knows that our Young Lord is going to marry you now. I don’t know how many people want to get close to you, giving you silver or people or whatever. You absolutely cannot accept it now!”
“Grand Uncle gave it to me. Grand Uncle has already sent Eldest Uncle to set off for Jianle City, along with the Hong Family’s Eldest Master,” Li Xiaonan replied in a low voice.
“The Hong Family’s Eldest Master is your Third Brother-in-law’s father?” Wan Jing confirmed. Li Xiaonan nodded.
“That’s good then,” Wan Jing breathed a sigh of relief.
“What did Shi Gun say to you?” Li Xiaonan changed the subject.
“He just said that our Young Lord is going to marry you, and that Fourth Mistress will accompany you back to Jianle City. He also said that the Young Lord will be going back too. Sigh, I really didn’t expect this!”
“He didn’t say for you to accompany me?” Li Xiaonan looked at Wan Jing.
“He did. Shi Gun didn’t tell me that; the Young Lord ordered me to accompany you to Jianle City. I thought you were going to Jianle City to lecture on Investigation of Things!” Wan Jing sighed.
“Wan Jing, what if I can’t pass the test of your Prince and Princess Consort…”
“Hmph!” Wan Jing interrupted Li Xiaonan’s worries with a sound full of disdain. “You don’t know what goes on in our Prince’s Estate! In our estate, the Young Lord’s word is final. If nothing else, regarding the broken engagement, the Young Lord just told the Prince and Princess Consort that he felt the marriage with the Shi Family was unsuitable and asked to break it off. Our Princess Consort didn’t even say no and went to the Shi Family with a stiff face to break off the engagement.”
“Then if we get to Jianle City, and your Young Lord finds out I’m also unsuitable, and I can’t marry into your Prince’s Estate, and later your Young Lord marries another wife, will you feel awkward?” Li Xiaonan asked.
“Why would I feel awkward? It’s not like I’m the one marrying the Young Lord,” Wan Jing rolled her eyes at Li Xiaonan.
“That’s true,” Li Xiaonan thought about it and realized she was overthinking.
The carriage soon stopped in front of Gui Jin Workshop. Wan Jing and Li Xiaonan got out of the carriage one after another and followed the old woman into Gui Jin Workshop.
……………………
Zhou Shennian sat restlessly in the waterside grass pavilion.
Mr. Dongxi, wearing a plain white long gown, carried a small tea basket and descended the mountain at a leisurely pace.
Upon seeing Mr. Dongxi, Zhou Shennian quickly stood up to greet him.
“I saw you looking restless from afar. What happened?” Mr. Dongxi asked gently with a smile.
“Something unexpected happened.” Zhou Shennian turned and walked into the grass pavilion, half a step behind Mr. Dongxi.
Entering the grass pavilion, Mr. Dongxi gestured for Zhou Shennian to sit and said with a smile, “This is new tea that I just picked and fried on the mountain tea garden. Let’s try it.”
“Okay,” Zhou Shennian replied somewhat reluctantly.
“No matter how urgent, you can’t lose your composure,” Mr. Dongxi said with a smile, glancing at Zhou Shennian.
“Yes. I haven’t lost my composure, it’s just that, Teacher, the Young Lord has asked Miss Li to set off for Jianle City immediately, accompanied by Wei Educational Commissioner’s Fourth Mistress. The Young Lord said he will also return.” Zhou Shennian was somewhat impatient.
“Hmm? Is it about the marriage?” Mr. Dongxi responded, meticulously washing the teapot and teacups.
“Yes, they say the Princess Consort heard about it and was very angry. Perhaps there’s something else, the Young Lord didn’t say. The Young Lord seemed a bit rushed and flustered,” Zhou Shennian replied.
“Miss Li has been lecturing so publicly in Hangcheng; by now, Jianle City probably knows everything. Getting flustered now, his temperament is just this impulsive and rash. You haven’t had a chance to mention the matter of apprenticeship to Miss Li yet?” Mr. Dongxi scooped the tea leaves into the tea scoop.
“Yes,” Zhou Shennian sighed in annoyance.
“When do you set off?” Mr. Dongxi poured water to rinse the tea.
“They say we set off the day after tomorrow, by water route.”
Mr. Dongxi hummed, slowly swirled the teapot, poured two cups of tea, and gestured to Zhou Shennian, “Try it.”
Zhou Shennian picked up the tea and smelled it, then put down the cup. “If the marriage is settled on this trip?”
“Hmm, what are your thoughts?” Mr. Dongxi asked, carefully sipping the tea.
“After the marriage is settled, given the Young Lord’s temper, he probably won’t allow Miss Li to become my apprentice,” Zhou Shennian answered cautiously.
“That Young Lord is arrogant and too impatient, and Miss Li is also too weak. This marriage…” Mr. Dongxi lowered his eyes and sipped his tea. After a moment, he looked at Zhou Shennian and smiled, “I’ve had the idea of visiting Jianle City for a long time. Let’s go now. We must get Miss Li into that Prince’s Estate.”
Zhou Shennian’s eyes widened in surprise, “Teacher?”
“This tea isn’t good, too bitter.” Mr. Dongxi put down his cup and looked at the surprised Zhou Shennian, smiling, “Did the Young Lord ask you to stay in Jiangnan, or to go north with him?”
“I haven’t asked yet,” Zhou Shennian seemed not to have reacted yet.
“You should go along too,” Mr. Dongxi said with a smile.
“Okay.”
……………………
Two days later, Wan Jing accompanied Li Xiaonan onto the Wei family’s large ship. A Wu, leading horses, was about to board the guards’ ship when Yu Ting grabbed him and pulled him onto the maidservant’s ship. The two precious horses were led onto the last ship.
Li Xiaonan walked from the bow to the stern, to the leading ship in front, and saw a string of six ships behind.
Li Xiaonan walked along the side of the ship. Wei Si Mistress dared not go near the edge. She followed from the front cabin to the rear cabin, looking at Li Xiaonan sighing with her hands on her hips, unable to figure out what this meant. She smiled and tentatively said, “It’s just the two of us, with little luggage and few people following. But Mother said that neither of us has traveled far, so she was worried and assigned several nannies from the external affairs department to accompany us. Cousin also gave us over ten guards.”
“So, these eight ships in total, is that considered a lot or a little?” Li Xiaonan asked.
“Hmm,” Wei Si Mistress paused. “It’s not little, nor is it a lot. It’s hard to say. For example, when my family came to Hangcheng, Mother brought the three of us but used over thirty ships because we were going to live in Hangcheng with Father for at least five years, and we had to bring a lot of things and people. When Miss Shi and the others came, the three of them only used six ships because they were guests at the Prince’s Estate Villa and didn’t need to bring many things or people.”
Li Xiaonan hummed. Fortunately, there were only Wan Jing and the other two, plus two horses. If it were like Fourth Mistress, with a group of maids and servants, it would have required over a dozen ships.
The large ship moved quickly and steadily, arriving at Pingjiang City before noon the next day and docking at the villa’s wharf. A pile of items sent from the villa was already on the wharf, including Wan Jing’s little dog, and a blind old man carrying a small drum, who was said to be a storyteller sent by Old Shopkeeper He to entertain Miss Li and Fourth Mistress on the journey.
Li Xiaonan’s heart stirred slightly, and she smiled and asked, “Is it the ‘Sang Shuai Zhuan’?”
The blind old man bowed and replied, “Yes.”
“A Wu said ‘Sang Shuai Zhuan’ is very exciting. Shall we start listening after dinner?” Li Xiaonan said with a smile to Wei Si Mistress. Seeing Wei Si Mistress nod, she smiled at Wan Jing and said, “Let A Wu and Yu Ting come listen too.”
After the pile of items was transferred, the ship left the wharf and sailed north against the current in the misty rain. Li Xiaonan, Wei Si Mistress, Wan Jing, and the excited A Wu and Yu Ting sat in the front cabin. After the blind old man played a rapid and distinct drumbeat for a while, he began to sing the opening hymn of ‘Sang Shuai Zhuan’ in his hoarse voice.
